Cam seated slidable jaw wrench



June "12 1951 C. H. ORTMAN CAM SEATED SLIDABLE JAW WRENCH Filed March 29; 1945 INVENTOR. m 4. 0%

Patented June 12, 1951 CAM SEATED SLIDABLE JAW WRENCH Charles H. Ortman, Chardon, Ohio Application March 29, 1945, Serial No. 585,460

3 Claims.

This invention relates to wrenches of the sliding jaw type and has for its general object to provide a construction of wrench of this type which will impart to the same an efficiency in operation not possessed by any other wrench of such type with which I am familiar.

As is well known, wrenches of the sliding jaw type comprise each an elongated shank or handle having at one end thereof a fixed jaw and provided with teeth extending rearwardly from the said jaw and adapted to be engaged by a worm element mounted upon and carried by a jaw which is slidable along the handle.

In constructing my invention, I utilize an elongated handle and a fixed jaw similar to those above described but provide it with special ratchet teeth, in place of the customary teeth, and provide the movable jaw with pawl mechanism including a movable pawl element.

In a wrench constructed as thus far described, it frequently happens that the spacing of the ratchet teeth is such that when the fixed jaw is in gripping engagement with one side of the object to be clamped the movable jaw cannot be brought into such gripping engagement because the distance through which it must be moved to accomplish this object is less than the spacing between the ratchet teeth.

It is a further object of my invention to provide the movable jaws of wrenches of the foregoing to which it has been placed by such movement.

A still further object of the invention is to enable this final adjustment of the movable jaw to be accomplished without sacrificing the ability to move the jaw quickly along the handle and to retain it in any position to which it may be so moved. A further and more limited object of the invention is to provide, for wrenches of the aforesaid type, simple and efiicient means for preventing the disengagement of the pawl from the ratchet teeth at times when such disengagement is undesirable.

I accomplish the foregoing objects and other objects which will be set forth hereinafter in and through the construction and arrangement of r parts shown in the drawings hereof wherein I illustrate the preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Fig. 1 represents a side elevational view of a wrench embodying said invention; Fig. 2 a plan view of the active operating portions of said wrench, as shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 a side elevaticnal view of a portion of the wrench handle and the movable jaw, the cam being shown in a position permitting the teeth of the pawl to be disengaged from the ratchet teeth; Fig. 4 a detail in section taken on the line 44 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows; Fig. 5 a detail, partly in plan and partly in section of the cam, pawl, and associated parts, the cam being in the position shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 6 a side elevational view of the cam, showing the same in the position which it occupies in Fig. l and the pawl being shown in broken lines; Fig. 7 a rear end elevational view of the cam shown in Fig. 6, the pawl being indicated in broken lines; and Fig. 8 a detail in perspective of the pawl.

For convenience of description, the wrench will be assumed to be in the position shown in the drawings and the terms upper and lower will be applied to the parts thereof, but without any intention of limiting the particular position of the wrench and the parts thereof when in operation. Furthermore, for convenience of descrip tion, the movement imparted to the sliding jaw whereby it may be moved into engagement with an object to be gripped will be referred to as the forward movement and the movement in the reverse direction as the reverse movement and the terms front and rear will also be employed in describing the parts of and associated with the said movable and fixed jaws.

Describing the various parts by reference characters, l0 denotes the handle of the wrench and i i the fixed jaw. The handle and fixed jaw are of the construction usually employed in wrenches of the type to which my invention relates, with the exception that the upper surface of the handie is provided with ratchet teeth l2, instead of the teeth with which the handles are usually provided.

The sliding jaw assembly comprises, inter alia, a sleeve having a slot or space l3 formed between its sides l3 and its bottom wall M. The sides extend upwardly from the bottom wall a distance sufiicing to permit the sleeve to be mounted slidably upon the handle H). The ends of the sides are extended upwardly, as shown at l5 and :5 and the slot 13 between the sides 13 is extended upwardly between the sides of these extensions to the bottom of the movable jaw proper and the bottom of a wall [6, located above the teeth #2, said wall being preferably integral with the top and sides of the rear extension of the sleeve. From the front extension [5 of the 3- sleeve, the movable jaw proper ll extends upwardly.

[8 denotes a shaft, similar to the shafts which have been employed with wrenches of this type for the support of the worms which cooperate with the handle teeth. This shaft is mounted the wall it f the rear extension l of the sleeve and is threaded into the movable jaw proper ll. The shaft supports the pawl mechanism, to which reference has been made hereinbefore and which will now be described.

I!) denotes the pawl proper, which comp-rises one or more triangular teeth 2i! each having its apex extending downwardly. The pawl is provided with a rearward extension 2| which projects through the portion of the slot l3 above the ratchet teeth and is of substantially the same width as said slot whereby the pawl is held against lateral movement. The pawl is provided, adjacent to the front end thereof, with a vertical extension (shown as an arm 22) having an opening 23 therethrough through which the shaft is extends, said opening being of sufliciently greater depth than the diameter of the shaft to permit the necessary movement of the nose of the pawl toward and from the ratchet teeth to enable the teeth of the pawl to be engaged with and disengaged from the ratchet teeth. The upper end of the arm 22 is provided with a rearwardly extending thumb piece 22*. M denotes a helical spring surrounding the shaft 18 and interposed between the rear jaw extension l5 and the arm 22 and exerting pressure upon the said arm, tending to force the nose of the pawl proper downwardly whereby the tooth or teeth thereof may engage the ratchet teeth therebeneath.

25 denotes a cam which is generally cylindrical in shape throughout the maijor portion of its length and having its forward base 26 extending transversely of the axis of the shaft I3 and adapted to engage the vertical" wall at the rear of the movable jaw proper, the diameter of the cam being such as to enable it to clear the ratchet teeth 52. The rear surface of the cam consists generally of two cooperating sections. The first section is a short section 2?, which is substantially parall l with the forward face or base 26 of the cam and which section constitutes the portion of the rear surface of the cam which is nearest to the base 26 thereof. with a wrench of approximately the size shown herein, the peripheral length of this section will be approximately The second section 21 is a compoimd spiral; that is to say, the outer edge of this section is in the shape of a spiral, but the operating surface thereof is inclined forwardly and outwardly from the central portion thereof to the peripheral portion thereof, making an angle of preferably about 80 with the axis of rotation of the cam. A shoulder 28 extends from. the high end of the surface of the cam to the low end of such surface. While this shoulder overhangs the front end or nose of the pawl when the said nose engages or is in close proximity to the portion 2'! of the surface of the cam, the said portion enables the nose to be lifted the slight distance necessary to disengage its tooth or teeth from the ratchet teeth. The shoulder serves as a means for indicating the portions of the operating surface of the cam which are cooperating with the nose of the pawl.

forward end of the pawl comprises a nose is which projects approximately at right angles from the arm and the length of which increases progressively and uniformly from one Side In practice,

thereof to the other (see Fig. 8). The front of the nose is defined by a plane surface extending downwardly from the top thereof and being inclined from one end of the nose to the other to correspond with the variation in length of the nose. This plane surface is thus shaped in order that it may engage, throughout its extent, the second section 21 of the cam. The entire planar surface is roughened or knurled, as shown at I9 with the exception of the portion I!) of said surface which is at the widened end of the nose and which can engage the section 21 of the cam.

Projecting rearwardly from and attached to the cam and preferably fprmed as an extension thereof is a locking device 30 for holding the eeth of the pawl in engagement with the ratchet teeth when the cam is rotated a sufficient distance from the position shown in Fig. 3 to enable the nose of the pawl to engage the surface 21" of the pawl. The exterior of this projection is cylindrical throughout the major portion thereof, as shown at 3| in Fig. 7, the ends of the cylindrical surface being connected by a plane portion 3?. which, except at its junction with the cylindrical surface, is nearer the axis of rotation of the cam than is the cylindrical surface. This plane surface is substantially coextensive in angular extent with the section 2'! of the cam.

With the parts constructed and arranged as d scribed, the operation will be as follows: when the cam is turned to the position shown in Fig. 1e plane surface of the locking device 30 is thereabove and the pawl may be rocked by means of the thumb piece 22 to disengage its teeth from the ratchet teeth therebelow. This will permit the movable jaw assembly to be slid freely rearwardly to any desired extent. By releasing the thumb piece, the spring 24 will depress the nose of the pawl and the teeth thereof will engage the ratchet teeth therebeneath, thereby to hold the movable jaw against further rearward movement. However, the movable jaw assembly may be slid forwardly to any desired position and retained from rearward movement by the engagement of the teeth of the pawl with the ratchet teeth. Assume that the wrench has been applied to an object, such as a nut, with the fixed jaw engaging one side of said object and that the wrench cannot tightly grip such object because of the fact that the distance between the ratche teeth is too great to enable the movable jaw to be moved into engagement with the opposite side of said object and at the same time enable the pawl and ratchet teeth to be interengaged. By rotating the cam, the thrust of the surface 215 against the nose of thepawl and the thrust of the front surface of the cam against the movable jaw proper will enable the movable aw assembly with the exception of the pawl and the spring 24) to be moved against the compression of the said spring to an extent necessary to bring the movable jaw in tight gripping relation to the said object. This rotation of the cam will first bring a corner formed between the plane surface 32 and the cylindrical surface 3! of the locking device into engagement with the nose of the pawl, thereby to lock the wrench in the gripping position which it has assumed; and this looking engagement will be maintained thereafter should further rotation of the cam be necessary in order to effect the final gripping movement of the movable jaw.

Should the jaws be in gripping engagement with the object to be gripped and with the parts occupying the positions shown in Fig. 3, a short rotary movement can be imparted to the cam without exerting a thrust against the movable jaw and, in the meantime, the corner portion of the locking surface 3| of the locking device 39 will be brought into engagement with the nose of the pawl, thereby positively locking the jaws against said object and preventing unintentional disengagement of the nose of the pawl from the ratchet.

Should the jaws be in grippin engagement with the object upon which they operate, while the teeth of the pawl are in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet, and with the parts in any position other than that shown in Fig. 3, the nose of the pawl will then be held in depressed position by a portion of the cylindrical surface 3| of the locking device 30. This locking device serves to prevent unintentional movement of the movable jaw assembly along the wrench handle, which might otherwise be occasioned by dropping or tossing the wrench.

By roughening or knurling the surface 2'! of the cam and the surface [9 of the pawl, any retrograde movement of the cam due to the thrust exerted between such surfaces is prevented. A thrust tending to create such movement will be exerted when the cam is operated to impart the final clamping movement of the movable jaw in the manner described hereinbefore.

This application is a continuation in part of my application Serial No. 521,908, filed February 11, 1944, now abandoned.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A wrench comprising a fixed jaw and a handle having teeth on its upper surface, a movable jaw assembly comprising a jaw proper and a sleeve attached thereto and having a slot adapted to receive said handle and to mount the sleeve thereon, the said sleeve having spaced front and rear extensions projecting above the toothed portion of the handle, a shaft comprising part of the movable jaw assembly and supported thereby above and in substantially parallel relation to the portion of the handle therebelow, a rotary cam mounted on said shaft and having a rear operating surface and abutting the front extension of the sleeve with its front surface, a pawl having one or more teeth on its under surface adapted to engage the teeth on the said handle and located rearwardly of the said cam and provided with a vertical extension through which the said shaft extends and which extension is vertically movable with respect to said shaft, a coil spring surrounding the shaft and exerting a thrust at its rear end against the rear extension of the sleeve and a thrust at its forward end against the rear portion of the vertical extension of said pawl.

2. A wrench comprising a fixed jaw and a handle having teeth on its upper surface, a movable jaw assembly comprising a jaw proper and a sleeve attached thereto and having a slot adapted to receive said handle and to mount the sleeve thereon, the said sleeve having front and rear spaced extensions projecting above the toothed portion of the handle, a shaft comprising part of the movable jaw assembly and supported thereby above and in substantially parallel relation to the portion of the handle therebelow, a rotary cam mounted on said shaft and having a rear operating surface and abutting the front extension of the sleeve with its front surface, a pawl supported by said movable jaw assembly rearwardly of the cam and above the handle for vertical movement toward and from the toothed portion of the handle therebeneath, said pawl having a nose presented toward the rear operating surface of said cam and provided with one or more teeth on the under surface adapted to engage the teeth on the handle, and a spring engaging the pawl and a portion of the movable jaw assembly and tending to hold the nose of the pawl in engagement with the rear operating surface of the cam and its tooth or teeth in engagement with the teeth of the handle, the operatin surface of the cam comprising two sections, the surface of one of said sections being in a plane at substantially right angles to the axis of the cam and constituting the low portion of the said cam, and the surface of the other section extending in a spiral direction rearwardly from the end of the first mentioned section, and a member extending rearwardly from the rear surface of the cam and rotatable therewith and overhanging the front or nose of the pawl, the said member having an outer cylindrical surface substantially coextensive in angular extent with the spiral operating surface of the cam, the remainder of the outer surface of said member being located in closer proximity to the aXis of the cam than the cylindrical portion thereof and being so positioned that it will be above the front or nose portion of the pawl when the front or nose of the pawl is in register with the surface of the first mentioned section of the cam.

3. A wrench comprising a fixed jaw and a handle having teeth on its upper surface, a movable jaw comprising a jaw proper and having a slot extending upwardly from the base thereof whereby it is slidably mounted upon the said handle, the said slot extending above the toothed portion of the handle when the base is inengagement with the bottom of the handle, a pin mounted in and extending rearwardly from the movable jaw proper, a pawl having one or more teeth adapted to engage the teeth on the said handle and provided with a yoke through which the said pin extends, a coil spring surrounding the pin and exerting a thrust at its forward end against the rear portion of said yoke, and a rotary cam member on said pin having a portion thereof adapted to be brought into engagement with the forward portion of the said pawl thereby to lock the said pawl and the movable jaw in position on the handle.

CHARLES H. ORTMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 320,797 King June 23, 1885 498,782 Geisler June 6, 1893 755,466 Dundon Mar. 22, 1904 772,633 Reel et al Oct. 18, 1904 857,237 Hansford June 18, 1907 1,092,695 Cunningham et al. Apr. 7, 1914 1,452,951 Barker Apr. 24, 1923 1,976,279 Doege Oct. 9, 1934 

